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Rockies Short Hops: Game 3

Rockies Short Hops: Game 3

In < 25 words ...
The Rockies' offense roared to life, but they couldn't contain the runaway Sox, a 10-5 loss leaving Boston a win away from a sweep.

Frozen moment
As the ball took flight toward the 415 marker in dead center, the sellout crowd held its collective breath. But Boston center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury reeled in pinch-hitter Ryan Spilborgh's drive a stride from the wall. In another part of the park, it would have been a three-run homer, trimming a 6-2 sixth-inning deficit to one run. A moment later, shortstop Julio Lugo's leaping catch of pinch-hitter Jeff Baker's line drive quelled the uprising.

Big number13 -- When Ellsbury's second double of the inning, tying a World Series record, drove home the final run of the six-run third, the Red Sox had 13 doubles in the Series. The Rockies at that moment had 12 total hits in the Series, underscoring Boston's dominance.

Game balls

Matt Holliday
With the Rockies down by four runs in the seventh inning, two on, Hideki Okajima in the game -- Holliday crushes a homer to dead center, bringing hope for the Rockies and their roaring crowd. Holliday, who has five of the Rockies' eight postseason homers, didn't quite get enough of a Jonathan Papelbon pitch with two outs and two on in the eighth, flying to left.

Matt Herges
Talk about making a statement -- Herges comes in following a two-run Rockies rally in the bottom of the sixth and strikes out Manny Ramirez, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew in succession.

Kazuo Matsui
Moved back into the leadoff spot to try to generate some spark, Matsui did his part with three hits. He reached second leading off on a single and Drew error in right field but was stranded, and he singled and stole second in the seventh before Holliday's three-run blast. He also singled in the eighth.

Sense of October
After striking out in a 12-pitch duel with Daisuke Matsuzaka in the fourth, Todd Helton worked an eight-pitch walk against Dice-K in the sixth with one out, setting in motion a two-run inning that got the Rockies back in the game.

Lines of the Game

MATSUI

HittingKazuo Matsui
5 AB, 3 H, 1 R, 1 SBComment: Matsui could have had a fourth hit, but Lugo went in the hole to make a big play for a force at third with two on in the fifth.

MORALES

PitchingFranklin Morales
2 1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 K Comment: After a nightmarish Series debut in Game 1 in Boston -- he gave up seven runs, six earned, while getting one out -- Morales rebounded with a strong relief effort. Especially impressive was a strikeout of Jason Varitek after Drew's leadoff double in the fifth.

HELTON

Spoken
"We went two weeks where it was [win] or go home. Now we're back in the same situation, backs against the wall. We've got to make it happen. I don't think we're ready to pack it in."-- Helton

Lyle Spencer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.